Lucknow: Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Sangeet Som was on Saturday arrested on charges of uploading a fake video that played a crucial role in the Muzaffarnagar communal riots. The BJP leader was arrested from his constituency Sardhana in presence of his supporters who were shouting slogans against the Uttar Pradesh government. Som, who has reportedly been accused of circulating a video that claimed to show the lynching of two Hindu Jat boys, earlier had said that he has not given any inciting speech, and asked the concerned authorities to prove it. Som’s arrest comes a day after the Uttar Pradesh police arrested BJP MLA Suresh Rana on charges of making provocative speeches to cause riots.
MLA from Thana Bhawan in riot-affected Shamli district was booked under sections 188 (knowingly disobeying orders to maintain public order), 153 A (promoting enmity between groups on the basis of religion) 353 (provoking with intent to cause riots) and 435 (damage to property) of IPC and criminal law amendment act, which is non-bailable. Rana was arrested by Lucknow police while he was on his way to Gomti Nagar from the party office this evening, immediately after the Uttar Pradesh Assembly was adjourned sine die. The life returned to normal in Muzaffarnagar as the city remained peaceful. No untoward incident has been reported after the curfew was completely lifted.
The Uttar Pradesh Government has constituted a one-member judicial commission to probe the Muzaffarnagar violence, which has claimed over 40 lives. The commission, which would mainly look into administrative lapses, if any, in controlling the violence, would submit its report to the government within two months. Violence broke out in the Kawal area of Muzaffarnagar on August 27, when members of a community returning from a panchayat meeting in Naglabadhod, three kilometres from Kawal, clashed with members of another community.
Bureau Report
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